This is an acronym that stands for: “Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers.” These assessments can take the form of a couple of tests, which is quite common in the education field. Regardless of whether your desire is to pursue a regular teacher education program or the pursuance of an alternate-route program, you should be familiar with the Praxis series of tests. Developed by the Educational Testing Service 9ETS), Praxis majorly helps to put theory in the context of practice.  

The Praxis series of tests are written at specific points during the certification process, and for many states (43 states), the teacher-in-training needs to take some standardized tests so as to be certified. It is important to be familiar with the Praxis series of tests, as they are the most frequently administered tests. As a matter of fact, of the 43 tests which necessitate the completion of an evaluation test in the certification process, up to 35 make use of the Praxis series.  

Praxis test components include: 

Praxis I: This assesses rudimentary skills such as reading, writing, and math. 

Praxis II: This assesses the subject-matter-specific skillsets and expertise which all teachers should possess. Inclusive in the Praxis II is the Principles of Learning Test (PLT), a test centered around performance, which must be completed either in the course of or post- student teaching. 

Praxis III: This assesses classroom output and performance on completion of the first year of teaching. Well-structured interview sessions are used to assess the teacher. 

Every state necessitates specific testing rules, specifying what combination of tests which a student-teacher should take while trying to get licensed and certified. The typical combination of tests includes Praxis I and II, both of which can either be taken online or on paper. Since they are widely used, many teacher education programs have materials for the Praxis exams handy. Some of these programs go as far as organizing preparation classes and tutorials for these exams. 

Here are some good tips: make sure to check in with your classmates to see if any of them has formed a Praxis study group, and as well surf the internet for resources that may be helpful in your preparation process, which are also available online. Consider these exams to be one of the few determining examinations of your career, so push yourself to perform at your very best!